


No Potts were Broken in the Making of this Adventure

by Clocketpatch



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 04:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13674297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clocketpatch/pseuds/Clocketpatch
Summary: “I’ve been reading fairy tales,” Bill said.The Doctor looked at her, one pink-dusted eyebrow rising up. “What does that have to do with not falling off cliffs?”“Well, you’re always quoting about magic fish and spiders riding on frogs, and it usually ends up being relevant to the situation, so… I just wanted you to know; I’ve been doing my homework.”





	No Potts were Broken in the Making of this Adventure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [andrastes_grace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrastes_grace/gifts).



The Doctor and Bill trekked a zig-zag path up a dark red cliff. Everything on this planet, aside from the TARDIS and the lurid, violet-blue sky, seemed to be some shade of red. Thanks to the tiny particles of pink dirt clinging to their hair, and skin, and clothes, even Bill and the Doctor were starting to take on a rouge tint.

Bill sneezed. Stumbled. The Doctor caught her before she could stumble off the edge of the path. It was a long way down. The TARDIS was a tiny blue speck on the valley floor.

“You need to be careful,” the Doctor said, muttering about the fragility and clumsiness of humans, while at the same time carefully positioning himself between Bill and the drop. They continued walking. Bill thought about how brushes with death had become commonplace enough in her life that… well, they hadn’t stopped bothering her, but she was better at picking herself up and going forward like nothing had happened.

Moira’s self-help books called that resiliency and went on about its merits and health benefits. Bill thought not almost dying in the first place would be healthier, but then, Moira’s self-help books were mostly about how to find the (male) life partner of your dreams, and not about how to go on adventures with your mysterious, alien foster-tutor. Luckily, Bill had found some more applicable self-help books to guide her.

“I’ve been reading fairy tales,” Bill said.

The Doctor looked at her, one pink-dusted eyebrow rising up. “What does that have to do with not falling off cliffs?”

“Well, you’re always quoting about magic fish and spiders riding on frogs, and it usually ends up being relevant to the situation, so… I just wanted you to know; I’ve been doing my homework.”

“The magic haddock is a fable, not a fairy tale.”

Bill smiled and blinked. “Okay then. Is there a difference?”

“A fable is a metaphor. A fairy tale is about magical godmothers turning squash into carriages. One is a life lesson. The other is wish fulfilment.”

“But Cinderella does teach about time management,” Bill said. “I though you were big on that.”

“Who was talking about Cinderella?” the Doctor asked. He scrunched his forehead. “Isn’t that the one with the singing mice?”

Bill laughed at his perplexed expression, and then started coughing again. She wished she’d brought a shawl or something to put over her mouth. The dust was everywhere. She could taste it on her tongue. Meanwhile, the Doctor kept walking, so Bill kept walking.

“Remind me why we’re climbing this cliff again?”

“I have friends at the top.”

“You also have a teleportation machine.”

“TARDIS.”

“Exactly,” Bill stepped in front of the Doctor to block him. “So why are we walking?”

“Why go to an alien planet if you don’t want to experience it?” the Doctor asked, carefully moving Bill to the side so he could keep going forward.

“So, I’ve been reading _fables_ ,” Bill said, following along side him. “And there’s one that’s got caught in my head. About these two pots. A brass one and clay one. The brass one wants to go on adventures, but the clay one is a bit afraid –” Bill peeked over at the Doctor. He seemed very interested in the trail ahead of them all of a sudden. His throat was doing a weird bobbly thing, like he was swallowing repeatedly. “– because the clay one is more fragile. It thinks it will get shattered. The brass pot says not to worry, but –”

“We’ve arrived,” the Doctor said, cutting her off.

Bill stopped and looks around. They’re about a third of the way up the cliff. The path still stretches on ahead of them. The narrow portion of trail they’re standing on doesn’t look any different than the rest.

“I thought you said your friends lived at the top?” Bill said.

“They do, but…” the Doctor stepped up close to the rock face and started pressing against it. A moment later, there was a grinding noise and a piece of the cliff wall peeled back to reveal a narrow cave. Bill followed the Doctor inside. It was surprisingly well lit inside. The floor was smooth and free of dust. The far wall was dominated by a large door and a series of buttons.

Bill looked at the Doctor, disbelievingly. “That had better not be what I think it is. By which I mean, I absolutely hope that is what I think it is, but this had better be the ground floor. Unless me almost falling to my doom was an integral part of today’s lesson plan?”

The Doctor shrugged and then pressed the summon lift button.

The doors opened with a chime. The Doctor and Bill stepped inside.

“Last time I checked, you’re not a piece of pottery, despite your last name,” the Doctor said as the lift started moving. “And I am certainly not made of brass.”

“Thanks, I think?” Bill said.

“That doesn’t mean you aren’t exceedingly fragile, so do try to be careful,” the Doctor added.

“And you ruined it. You were so close to a compliment.”

“Don’t mention it,” the Doctor said.

There was a musical chime as they stopped moving and the lift doors opened, revealing a sumptuously decorated marble and gold chamber.

“After you, Miss Potts,” the Doctor said.

*

The Doctor’s friends turned out to be remarkably easy to offend on just about every subject, up to and including the weather. They also turned out to be remarkably unlovely people when offended. And, to make it all even more of a fun time, they not only weren’t friends with the Doctor, they seemed to be under the impression that he was some kind of body snatching assassin on a mission to kill their crown prince, and that Bill was the one who’d hired him.

A typical adventure.

Which ended back in the TARDIS with both of them a bit dustier and more ragged than they’d started, but overall fine.

“Did you learn anything today?” the Doctor asked, breathing hard as he pulled on the console to set the TARDIS into flight.

“A few things. You’ll have to wait until I hand in my next essay to find out."

“You had a good time though?”

“I think so, yeah. Thanks.”


End file.
